Gaye FIfer, an accomplished contra caller and waltz instructor from Pittsburgh, PA (by way of Charlottesville, VA), has called at every Whirl since FOOTMAD started the weekend in 2005.

Her instructions are clear and concise, a talent that comes naturally because she was a teacher by profession. Gaye has been described (not by us, although we would agree) as “the best waltz teacher in the country.”

She has called and taught at almost every dance weekend in the eastern US and delights dancers with her clear walk-throughs and smooth-flowing contras.

Terry Doyle from Morganton, North Carolina, travels far and wide to call contra dances. She currently teaches at Western Piedmont Community College and is co-director of the Appalachian Folk School in Mountain City, Tennessee. While calling, Terry loves to flatfoot on stage to add percussive rhythm sounds.

It’s a Whirl debut for Playing With Fyre who make contra dance tunes really sizzle! The North Carolina-based band has gained a large, enthusiastic following at dance weekends up and down the East Coast and Midwest with their versatile style and high-energy rhythms that just make you want to keep dancing!

Videos featuring Playing With Fyre can be found on their official webpage

Trillium, a contra dance trio from Ohio, draw on many genres, including old-time, Celtic, French Canadian, English Country and bluegrass.

Videos and audio recordings featuring Trillium can be found on the band’s official web page..

facebook.com/trilliumdanceband/

Rob Zissette (fiddle) is classically trained but was raised on rock, pop, funk, soul, folk, and everything in between. He joins his mother in the duo Toss the Possum and teaches fiddle and blues dancing.

George Paul (keyboards) also plays with the Avant Gardeners and Potent Brew, and composes contra dance tunes and waltzes.

Steve Kemble (percussion) is fluent in genres such as rock, blues, jazz, funk, salsa, reggae, soca, soukous, and zydeco, loves to blend these influences, and has performed and recorded with many groups.

Mark Barsamian (fiddle) from Athens, Ohio, began playing classical violin as a young child. Twenty five years ago, he became smitten by Celtic fiddle music, and has been playing traditional music ever since.

Mark Delozier (piano) from Yellow Springs Ohio, has been active on the contradance music scene for years, first in the Cleveland area where he was a long-time member of Strings and Things, and more recently in the Dayton/Columbus area. He is known for the warm sound he gets from a small acoustic piano that he hauls around to gigs.

Zeke Hutchison (mandolin) from Athens Ohio, is best known for his bluegrass background but is equally fluent in styles as diverse as jazz and classical. Tim O’Brien, who recently recorded with Zeke on his Short Order Sessions, describes him as “one of the very best unsung mandolin players in the world.”